Drive mechanism for washing-machines.



' I. II. KNOLL.

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I3, 19H RENEWED SEPT-24.1915.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

a J 1 /f w Witnesses I &. Q (i Attorneys v THE COLUMBIA FLAIjOGRAPH coWASHINGTON, D. c.

J. H. KNOLL. DFHVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION men JULYI3LI9H. RENEWED SEPT.24. 1915.

1,174,075. Patented Mar. 7,

2 SHEETS SHEET 2- \\'\'(((iiiiiiiiiiiii Witnesses Inventor I r I I 4ttorneys THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm. WASHINGTON, b. c.

JAMES H. KNOLL, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR WASI-IING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

Application filed July 13, 1914, Serial No. 850,686. Renewed September24, 1915. Serial No. 52,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. KNOLL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Drive Mechanism for WVashing-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drive mechanism for washing machines, one ofthe objects of the invention being to provide power mechanism wherebymotion may be transmitted from a motor to either or both the agitator ofthe washer and a wringer combined with the washer, according to the willofthe operator.

A further object is to provide in connection with a washer, a wringermounted to swing horizontally so as to be used in connection with anyone of three tubs or containers, the drive mechanism being constantly incondition to actuate the wringer in any of the positions to which it maybe adjusted, it being possible either to drive the wringer forward orbackward or to maintain the rollers of the wringer stationary.

A further object is to provide means whereby the agitator can always bestopped and locked in the same position, it being possible to quicklydetach the drive mechanism from the agitator when it is desired to openthe lid of the washer or when it is desired to remove the tub for anypurpose.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in thepreciseembodim'ent of the invention herein disclosed, can be made withinthe scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of a washing machine havingthe present improvements combined'therewith, the wringer being shownextended parallel with one side of the stand of the washer. Fig. 2 is anenlarged plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anenlarged front elevation of the drive mechanism, the agitator beingremoved. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the meansprovided for detachably connecting the agitator to the drive mechanism.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates thetop of a stand,

the same being supported by legs 2 which are suitably braced. A motorhas been indicated generally at 8 and can be in the form of an electricmotor, a water motor, a spring motor or the like. This stand is designedto support the container 4 of a washing machine and also to support atub, not shown, for receiving fabrics after they have been removed fromthe container 4 and the water pressed therefrom.

Mounted on the top 1 of the stand adjacent the center thereof is a crossplate 5 from which depend hangers 6 and 7. A transverse shaft 8 isjournaled in these hangers and has a pulley 9 secured to it, this pulleybeing designed to receive motion, through a belt 10, from a pulley 11driven by the motor 3. The hanger 7 is in the form of a frame and has astandard 12 pro vided with a tubular head 13, this standard extending upto and constituting a support for the swinging frame 14 of the wringerstructure. An upwardly extending shaft 15 isjournaledin the hanger 7 andin the tubular head 13 and extends upwardly from said head through aneye 16 extending from the lower portion of the frame 14 and through ayoke 17 secured to and extending from the upstanding end portion 18 ofthe frame 14. Thus it will be seen that the shaft 15 constitutes a pivoton which the frame 14 is free to swing in a horizontal plane. Head 13has a disk-like portion 19 provided with notches 20 and a dog 21 ispivotally connected to the eye 16 and is adapted to be seated in any oneof the notches 20, thus to hold the frame 14 against swinging movementrelative to the standard 12. It is designed to provide two notches inthe disk 19 so that the frame 14 can be secured in either one of twopositions, to wit, the frame can be extended transversely above the top1 between the container 4 and a tub mounted on said top and can beextended above and parallel with one side of the top, as shown in Figs.1 and 2. Any suitable form of wringer, indicated generally at 22 isadapted to be secured upon the frame 14, this wring-er having one of itsrollers provided witha trunnion 23 extending toward shaft and providedwith a bevel gear 24. This trunnion 23 is journaled in the yoke 17hereinbefore referred to and the bevel gear 24 is arranged betweenopposed upper and lower bevel gears 25 and 26 which are loosely mountedon the shaft 15 and within the yoke 17. A clutch 27 is feathered on theshaft 15 and inter.- posed between gears 25 and 26, and any suitablemeans, such as a lever 28 fulcrumed on the yoke 17, can be provided forshifting clutch 27 into engagement with either of the gears 25 and 26,thus to couple said gear to the shaft 15. When the clutch is in anintermediate position, both of the gears 25 and 26 are disengaged and,consequently, shaft 15 can rotate freely within them. For the purpose ofbracing the frame 14, a lug 29 is extended from the standard 12 and ispivotally engaged bythe lower end of a brace rod 30, the upper end ofthis rod being connected to the frame 14.

A gear 31 is loosely mounted on the lower portion of the shaft 15 andhas a clutch member 32 designed to be engaged by another olutch member33 which is feathered on the shaft 15. This last named clutch member isadapted to be shifted by means of a lever 34 and, when the clutch member33 is moved upwardly, it will become dis- I engaged from the clutchmember 32, thus permitting rotation of gear 31 independently of shaft 15whereas, when the clutch member 33 is shifted downwardly, gear 31 willbe coupled to the shaft 15.

Journaled within the hanger 7 is a short vertical shaft 35 to which issecured a gear 36 constantly meshing with a small gear 37 secured to theshaft 8. The shaft 35 has a small gear 38 fixedly connected thereto,this gear constantly meshing with the gear 31 and having a clutch member39. Another vertical shaft 40 is journaled in the hanger 7 and in thetop 1, this shaft 40 alining with the shaft 35 and being provided, atits upper end, with a crank arm 41 while slidably mounted on its lowerend portion is a clutch member 42, this clutch member being feathered orotherwise held to the shaft 40 so as to ritate therewith. Said clutchmember has an annular flange 43 from the lower face of which extends aV-shaped cam 44. In the upper face of the flange 43 is formed a notch 45and, depending from the upper portion of the hanger 7 is a lug 46adapted, under certain conditions, to extend into the notch 45. crumedupon the hanger 7 and has a lug 48 An actuating lever 47 is ful-,

movable therewith and adapted to be shifted into and out of the path ofthe cam 44.

Journaled in a suitable bearing 49 provided on the top 1 and also inanother bearing 50 carried by the standard 12 is a vertical shaft 51provided, adjacent the top 1, with a crank arm 52 somewhat larger thanthe crank arm 41 but working in the same plane therewith. The two crankarms 41 and 52 are connected by a pitman 53 so that, when the crank arm41 is rotated, an oscillating movement will be imparted to the orank'arm52.

Shaft 51 extends to a point above the container 4 and is provided, atits upper end, with a head 54 having a longitudinal channel 55 in thetop thereof adjacent one side while depending from the head and underthe channel are ears 56. A yoke 57 is pivotally connected to the ears 56and carries a' clamping screw 58. Channel 55 is adapted to receive a bar59 and, by moving the yoke 57 to position so as to overhang this bar andby then adjusting the screw 58 against the bar, said bar will be causedto wedge tightly. within the channel 55. However, by releasing screw 58,yoke 57 can be swung outwardly from above the bar 59 and said bar liftedreadily out of the channel 55.

Ears 60 extend from the ends of. the bar 59 and have links 61 pivotallyconnected to them, these links being also pivotally connected to ears 62formed at the ends of a head 63, this last named head being secured atits center upon the upstanding shaft 64 of the agitator and which shaftis mounted for rotation in a bearing 65 mounted on the top of thecontainer 4 at the centerthereof. The two heads 59 and 63, and the links61 form a parallelogram so that, by the oscillation of head 59, acorresponding oscillationof the head 63 is pro duced.

Assuming that the clutch members 23 and 32 are out of engagement witheach other and that the clutch member 42is lifted out of engagement withclutch member 39, shaft 8, which can'be rotated continuously, willcontinuously actuate the shaft 35, motion being transmitted to saidshaft 35 through the gears 37 and 36. Motion will also be transmittedfrom gear 38 to gear 31which, in turn, will rotate loosely on the shaft15. When clutch member42 is out of engagement with the clutch member 39,it is held against rotation by the lug 46 projecting into the notch 45,cam 44 at this time bearing downwardly on the elevating lug 48. As soon.as lever 47 is moved downwardly, the clutch member 42 will gravitateinto engagement with clutch member 39, thus coupling shaft 40 to shaft35 and causing lthefl'crank arm 41 to rotate. Consequently ride upwardlyon the lug 48 and thenotch 45' to receive the fixed lug 46. Consequentlyshaft 40 will be brought to a stop, itbeirig understood that theagitator and the crank arms will always bear the same relation to eachother when the mechanism is stopped. Consequently there is no danger ofthe parts coming to a dead center when starting of the mechanism wouldbe difficult.

hen it is desired to actuate the wringer when. the same isin either ofthepositions heretofore described, lever 34 is shifted so as to bringthe two clutch members 32 and 33 into engagement with each other, thuscoupling gear- 31 to shaft 15. By then actuating lever28, either of thegears 25 and 26 can be placed in mesh with gear 24, thus with said camto uncouple the clutch memhers, and means for holding the crank arms inpredetermined positions relative to each causing the rollers of thewringer to feed in either of two directions desired.

By positioning the tub orcontainer 4 as shown and by placing another tubon the .top 1 and a third tub at one side of the stand, the wringer canfirst be brought to position across the frame and between the tub 1 andthe other tub on the stand so that, as the fabrics are removed from thetube,

they can be passed through the wringer into the other tub on the stand.The wringer can then be shifted to the position shown'in Figs. 1 and 2of the drawings after which the fabrics contained in the tub on thestand can be passed through the wringer into the third tub. Ifpreferred, after passing the fabrics from tub 1 into the other tub onthe stand, the wringer mechanism can be reversed so as to drive therollers in the opposite direction whereupon the fabrics can be passedback through the wringer intothe tub 4. 7

It will be seen that by means of the mechanism described, the wringercan be operated independently of the agitator and the agitator can beoperated independently of the wringer or, if preferred, both theagitator and the wringer can be operated simultaneously.

It has already been pointed out that the top of the tub 4- can be raisedby detaching the bar 59 from the head 54, the detachment of the partsbeing easily effected, as heretofore described.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a shaft, acrank carriedthereby, and mechanism driven by the shaft, of alining shafts, means foractuating one of the alining shafts, a crank car- 'sitions relative toeach other.

ried the other one of the aliningshafts,

a connection between the cranks, and cooperatingtherew-ith to rock thefirst named shaft, cooperating clutch members for holding the aliningshaftsnormally coupled: together, a

lifting element, means upon oneof the clutch membersand cooperating withthe lifting element for disengaging the clutch members during therotation of the alining shafts, and means cooperating with said clutch"member, for stopping the actuation of'the cranks when brought topredetermined po- 2. The combination with a shaft, operat crank movablewith the shaft, alining shafts,

' a crank movable with one of the alining shafts, a'connection betweensaid cranks and cooperating therewith for rocking the shaft during therotation of one of the cranks, cooperating clutch members normally coupling together the alining shafts, a cam upon one of the clutch members,means under thecontrol of an operator and shiftable into the path of thecam for cooperating other immediately subsequent to the uncoupling ofthe alining shafts.

3. The combination with alining shafts, means for rotating one of theshafts, a crank carried by the other shaft, and means operated by thecrank for oscillatinga driven member, of cooperating clutch members uponthe shafts, a lifting element under the control of an operator, a camrevoluble with one of the clutch members and movableinto engagement withthe lifting element during the rotation of the shaft to shift one of theclutch members out of engagement with the other clutch member, and meanscooperating witlrsaid shiftable clutch member for stopping the rotationof the crank when brought to a predetermined position. I

4. The combination with alining shafts, means for rotating one of theshafts, a crank carried by the other shaft, and means operated by thecrank for oscillating a driven member, of cooperating clutch membersupon the shafts, a liftingelement under the control of an operator, acam revoluble with one of the clutch members and movable into engagementwith the lifting element during the rotation of the shaft to shift oneof the clutch members out of engagement with the other clutch member,and means cooperating,

with said shiftable clutch member for stopping the rotation of the crankwhen brought 1 5. The combination With a shaft, of a In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing head fixedly connected thereto and having as my own,I have hereto affixed my signa- 10 a channel in one face, a bardetachably seatture in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

ed in the channel, a yoke pivotally connected 7 g 5 to the head andmovable to position to over- JAMES KNOLL hang the bar, means carried bythe yoke for Witnesses: binding the bar Within the channel, and F. R.REED,-' driving means upon the bar. a ETHEL STAPLES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington; D. G.

